Overview

Ever since Darby rescued her wild filly mustang, she's been having a tough time at her grandfather's ranch. And after she accidentally endangers one of his loyal and steady horses, she can't help but wonder if she really belongs on a horse ranch at all.

But then a shadowy horse shows up, prowling the grounds at night. Could it be the legendary Shining Stallion of Hawaii? And why is Darby the only one who has seen him? One thing is certain: When the mysterious stallion sets out ...

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Overview

Ever since Darby rescued her wild filly mustang, she's been having a tough time at her grandfather's ranch. And after she accidentally endangers one of his loyal and steady horses, she can't help but wonder if she really belongs on a horse ranch at all.

But then a shadowy horse shows up, prowling the grounds at night. Could it be the legendary Shining Stallion of Hawaii? And why is Darby the only one who has seen him? One thing is certain: When the mysterious stallion sets out to challenge the wrong horse, only Darby can stop him—before anyone gets hurt.

Terri Farley is the author of the wildly popular Phantom Stallion series, which has sold one million copies. For her new series, Wild Horse Island, Terri volunteered on a horse ranch in Hawaii for three weeks. After much coaxing, she returned to her husband in Verdi, Nevada, where she lives and writes.

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Phantom Stallion: Wild Horse Island #2: The Shining Stallion

Chapter One

The girl and horse stood nose to nose.

Trade winds swirled the scents of trees and cinnamon-red dirt around them. Truck tires crunched on the rough road to 'Iolani Ranch, a goat's bleat mixed with birdsong, and the harsh neigh of a stallion rang out from a distant pasture.

But the girl only noticed her horse's hay-sweet breath and the flick of her flattened ears. Darby smiled at Hoku's determination to win their stare-off.

She'd named the filly Hoku, the Hawaiian word for star, after the white marking on her chest, but Darby Carter couldn't help comparing the young horse to something else.

Nitroglycerine, Darby thought as she stepped toward her golden-red filly. One wrong move could make that chemical explode.

Darby scuffed her boots in the dirt. She couldn't move any closer without ramming into the filly, but Hoku didn't know that.

The sorrel braced her legs and tossed her mane. Her stare stabbed past strands of ivory forelock.

Friendship was one thing. Giving in to a halter was something else.

Hoku would never be truly tame. Darby knew that haltering her mustang was about as safe as playing with explosives.

"Hey, good girl, don't look so worried," Darby said.

Hoku vibrated with a silent nicker and her head rose an inch. For a second, Darby felt as if they were the only two creatures on the island, but then Hoku glanced over Darby's shoulder, through the corral rails, and glared at their audience.

"Stay close."

Darby didn't turn at Cade's voice. Hiseyes tracked her moves, but he wasn't adding up her mistakes. He was keeping her under surveillance for her own good.

Not that Cade and everyone else on 'Iolani Ranch thought she was insane, but she'd understand if they did. To say she'd made a few big mistakes last week was an understatement. She'd given new meaning to the term horse crazy.

"But I've learned my lesson, haven't I, pretty girl," Darby said.

Hoku's eyes widened in curiosity as Darby sauntered around to the horse's left side.

Darby and Cade had been talking since dawn about how to halter the head-shy filly. Staying close, without doing anything Hoku found scary, was the first step.

Once, a man had tried to beat the filly's wild horse wariness out of her. It hadn't worked. Hoku's spirit matched her fiery gold coat. She hated men and she didn't like anyone, even Darby, touching her head.

The filly didn't shift away. Instead, she rearranged her front hooves to return the gentle pressure.

"Perfect." Darby barely breathed the word before raising her arms in a hug and rubbing the filly's poll.

At last Hoku relaxed. Her head drooped until her lips were even with Darby's knees.

Now came the hard part. Could she tie a soft rope halter on Hoku's lowered head?

"Stay close," Cade repeated.

Darby guessed she should have given some sign that she'd heard him the first time, but after all, shouldn't a horseman like Cade know she didn't want to set off Hoku by having a conversation with him? Cade had studied the way of Hawaii's cowboys, the paniolo, and he was apprenticed to her grandfather Jonah, a man known as the Hawaiian horse charmer.

"Hear me?" Cade asked.

Darby risked a tiny nod. That was all it took to detonate the filly's wildness.

Hoku bolted into a gallop. Strides meant to cross an endless range took her around and around the corral.

Darby kept herself from groaning, but her arm had a mind of its own. It flung the orange rope halter down in frustration.

Hoku's front legs lifted. Her hooves jounced down as if the halter was a snake and she wanted to pound the life out of it. Then, Hoku wheeled and raced in the opposite direction.

"Your temper just set you back an hour," Cade pointed out, but she still didn't look at him.

She knew what she'd see: brown eyes set in a sun-browned face beneath a brown luahala hat that hid the only spot of color about him, the tight blond braid of a paniolo.

Squinting her eyes against the dust swirling around her, Darby snatched up the halter. She sorted it back into shape by touch, without taking her eyes off Hoku.

Reversing her morning's progress, Darby backed toward the fence until she collided with it.

"Go away. Please."

"Jonah wants me to supervise—"

"But—"

"And he's the boss," Cade finished.

Wishing she could communicate with Cade as well as she could with Hoku, Darby considered the hand-me-down boots she'd accepted from Megan Kato, the ranch manager's daughter. Scuffed through the reddish finish of the oxblood leather, they were real cowgirl boots and Darby loved them, but they didn't supply any ideas on how to convince Cade she needed to be alone with her horse.

"We'll be okay," Darby promised, and when Cade didn't contradict her, she slid her eyes around far enough to see that he was staring up at the pillowy gray clouds.

"Suppose it's this storm that's got Luna so spooky?" Cade asked her, and Darby heard the stallion neighing from the lower pastures again, though he was usually quiet during the day.

"It doesn't look like much," Darby said. She hadn't been in Hawaii long, but the clouds didn't look like they were holding a downpour that would send her scurrying inside to curl up on her bed with a book. "Maybe you should go check on him."

Cade's second silence had to mean a weakening in his resolve.

"Maybe I will," Cade said. "Something's got him stirred up." He pushed back from the fence so abruptly, the post joint creaked with a sound like a starter's gun. "Be right back."

Yes! Cade's retreat worked like magic. As the boy turned away, Hoku slowed to a jog, then a walk. Then she stopped, sneezing at the dust halo she'd raised.

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Reviewed by D. M. Nigro for TeensReadToo.com

Welcome to 'Moku Lio Hihiu', better known as Wild Horse Island. THE SHINING STALLION is Book 2 of Terri Farley's PHANTOM STALLION, WILD HORSE ISLAND series, and right away readers will join main character Darby Carter as she challenges her brand new filly Hoku in a nose-to-nose standoff. Darby has just moved in with her newfound grandfather, Jonah, at Iolani Ranch, his Hawaiian home, but between an error she makes handling one of the horses - and a clash with stylish older cousin Megan -things aren't going as well as she'd hoped. And then there's the alarming nighttime visit from a fiery black stallion that only Darby has seen. Is he the deadly 'Shining Stallion', a chilling island legend? Can Darby stop him from hurting anything - or anyone - else? Mystical tales from Hawaii's past and a magic bracelet charm enter the mix. Not to mention an all-too-modern crime, the theft of priceless Hawaiian artifacts. <BR/><BR/>The many methods and responsibilities involved in caring for horses blend nicely with the stallion mystery, making this an ideal book for serious young riding enthusiasts. But all readers will appreciate the exotic Hawaiian setting and spunky heroine as she struggles to win her place among the people and animals of Wild Horse Island. (Note: While THE SHINING STALLION succeeds as a stand-alone story, beginning with Book One might give a fuller picture of Darby's friends and family, especially her absent parents and enigmatic grandfather, Jonah. But the 'Darby's Diary/Dictionary' postcript does offer basic personal facts plus helpful Hawaiian terms and lore.) <BR/><BR/>Ms. Farley has a refined, classic writing style and flawless good taste. She avoids current slang and references to cell phones or other technology, giving her work a refreshing, timeless quality that still feels contemporary. The dramatic, satisfying final chapters retain enough mystery to carry Darby into her next adventure. No doubt her fans will be waiting.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted April 17, 2012

Love it

Must read

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted April 10, 2012

C

Dear Braveheart,

I know you are locked out of this book, and the other book (Firefly) because your post vanished. Please talk to me at "the black fawn" book series! I hope you look at this post! Even though you can't post here, I know you can read them!

Love, Fawnstep

1 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted April 4, 2011

Best Horse book ever!

A horse lover's dream book. Funny,adventure,and horses all in one book.Defently my vavorate book. Perfect for 9 and up, great for adults too.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted August 27, 2008

CANT WAIT FOR MORE

AWOME! Terri Farley is the greatest writer in the world! omg! i cant wait for more books!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted January 8, 2008

AMAZING!!!

This was the best Phantom Stallion, or book, that I have ever read! It is very exciting, and keeps you on the edge of your chair. I love how is is spooky, but not a, 'keeps you up all night' sort of thing. Phantom Stallion is one of my favorite series, but this book is the best!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted August 12, 2007

yay

just on time for school. keep them coming Terri Farley!!!

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted August 3, 2007

awsome books

i read all of her books in like a day. i cant wait for this book to come out. it sounds so good. it would be so cool if theses books were made into a movie!!!!! i really wish one day i could meet her.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted May 11, 2007

A reviewer

Yay! I'm the first one to write a review! I can't wait for this book, and the first one! This one sounds amazing! Plus, it gives us a bit of from THE HORSE CHARMER, the first book. 'Ever since Darby rescued her wild filly mustang,' so we know she saves her somehow! And from reading the summary to the first book, I think you can figure it out! This book sounds amazing! Here's a little more info on the covers of the books: THE HORSE CHARMER - Hoku, Darby's sorrel mustang filly THE SHINING STALLION - A black stallion RAIN FOREST ROSE - A rose roan, maybe mare or filly UNKNOWN - A cremello foal! WOOOOOO!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted May 22, 2007

A reviewer

omigosh!!!! i just got horse charmer today and am LOVIN' IT!!! i saw the cover for this one and it looks... the way words can't comprehend!!! i can't wait till it comes out!!! and rainforest rose sounds really poetic!!! this is so rad!!! yay terri farley!!!!!!!!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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Anonymous

Posted July 14, 2013

My fave love it

Im going to horse camp with my sis who no's nothing about

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Anonymous

Posted May 17, 2013

Crystalshard

Huge rainbow dragon with a crystal on her chest is perche on a large flat rock the color of topaz.

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Anonymous

Posted December 24, 2012

Awesome!

I love this series and the Phantom Stallion! Five Stars

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Anonymous

Posted August 20, 2012

LOVE LOVE LOVE

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS BOOK! Is sooooo good u need to read it i have the book read it about 2 times need to read it! II GIVE IT 5 STARS!!!!

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Anonymous

Posted July 31, 2008

This series isn't just for kids! adults will love it too!

Terri Farley is a great writer, and her new series PHANTOM STALLION: WILD HORSE ISLAND is awsome! I started reading them about 6 months ago, and I just love them! If you love horses, this is the series for you!

0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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